1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a temporary cover plate for protecting an electrical outlet box or the like and its contents during construction activities.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
During the construction of commercial or residential buildings, electrical outlet boxes and their contents suffer many abuses from the other subcontractors that work on the same job site. As used herein, the terms “electrical outlet box” and “electrical box” refer to any of the various types of boxes used in residential, commercial or industrial construction that are used to contain electrical wires or electrical fixtures such as switches, outlets, light dimmers, telephone and audio-visual connections, smoke and fire detectors, security devices, lighting and the like. The terms “electrical box” or “electrical outlet box” are also intended to refer to mud rings.
During the initial phase of wiring a building, the electrician will install numerous electrical outlet boxes. After all the electrical outlet boxes are installed, the electrician will then rough-in the wiring by pulling wires from a central location in the building to the appropriate electrical outlet box. When the wires are pulled to the appropriate electrical outlet box, the electrician will leave enough wire to attach the device that will be permanently mounted in that electrical outlet box during the next phase of the construction project. Once the wire conductors are pre-trimmed and stripped, the electrician will roll or fold the wire conductors in some manner, and push them into the electrical outlet box. At this point the electrical box and it contents are not protected from damage or disturbance. The electrical outlet box and its contents are exposed to potential damage from other subcontractors, such as insulation installers, sheet rock installers, floaters, painters, and specialty covering applicators.
Insulation installers have a tendency to blow cellulose or other type of insulation into the electrical outlet box during the process of filling the wall cavities with insulation that in turn fills the electrical outlet box with insulation. When a motorized raker is used to trim the excess insulation flush with the wall studs there is potential damage to the electrical outlet box and its contents. The electrician will have to spend time and material to repair any damage done to the electrical outlet box and to remove the insulation that was deposited into the electrical outlet box.
When the drywall installers, start their phase of the construction project is when the most potential damage to the electrical outlet box and its contents can occur. The drywall is affixed to the wall studs with nails or screws or both and is placed directly over the electrical outlet box. Once the drywall is affixed permanently to the wall studs, the drywall installer will cut openings in the drywall to expose the electrical outlet box. The openings are typically cut with some form of rotary cutter. This tool has a high-speed rotary bit similar to a common drill bit, but is designed to cut along the shank of the cutter. The typical method for the drywall installer is to find the electrical outlet box location from the bulge in the wall or a mark on the wall that the drywall installer made and then insert the high-speed cutter through the drywall and cut an opening around the electrical outlet box. The intent is to cut an opening around the electrical outlet box as close to the outside as possible using the outside of the electrical outlet box as a guide. However, as the sheet rock installer inserts the high speed rotary cutter through the sheet rock, sometimes the high speed rotary cutter is inadvertently put inside the electrical outlet box which severs or damages the wire conductors in the electrical outlet box. If the drywall installer fails to cut the opening to the outside of the electrical outlet box, the electrical outlet box will not be flush to the surface of the exterior of the drywall, which will force the electrical outlet box deeper into the wall cavity. If the electrical outlet box is left in this condition, the device that will be permanently mounted into the electrical outlet box will not fit properly and the electrician will not be able to install the device. There is also a safety concern when the wire conductors in the electrical outlet box are damaged. If the wire conductors are nicked in some manner and are not discovered by the electrician there is the possibility of a short circuit. Also there may be electrical code violations if the wire conductors are cut to a point that reduces the current carrying capabilities of the conductors, and/or the length of the conductors are not left long enough in the electrical outlet box to meet code. Any damage to the electrical outlet or the wire conductors will have to be repaired by the electrician causing unnecessary wasted time and extra material.
An additional problem occurs when the drywall installer fails to find all of the electrical outlet boxes of the construction project. Floaters use joint compound and some form of paper tape or fiber tape to finish the seams and joints in the drywall to produce a smooth surface on the wall. During this process the electrical outlet box and its contents will be exposed to the joint compound used by the floaters. The electrical outlet box and the screw sockets of the electrical outlet box may be filled with the joint compound, which dries to a rigid non-pliable form and is very difficult to remove. The electrician then has to remove the excess joint compound and prepare the electrical outlet box to receive the devices that will be permanently installed in the electrical outlet box.
During the specialty covering or texturing of the walls or ceiling, a diluted form of the joint compound or other mixture is sprayed, rolled or applied in some manner to give the surface the desired textured finish. During this phase of the construction project the electrical outlet box and its contents are exposed once again to this joint compound mixture that accumulates in the electrical outlet box and in the screw sockets of the electrical outlet box. The electrician will have to remove this accumulated mixture in order to install the required device in the electrical outlet box.
During the painting phase of the construction project, the wire conductors and the screw sockets of the electrical outlet box may be covered with paint. The electrician will spend unnecessary extra time preparing each electrical outlet box that has been coated with paint.
During all phases of the construction project, many of the subcontractors need power for their tools and lights. It is a common practice for a subcontractor to temporarily attach an outlet to the electrical outlet box rough-in wiring and then remove the temporary outlet when their phase of construction is completed. The constant manipulation of the rough-in wiring by attaching and removing temporary devices causes the wire conductors in the electrical outlet box to become kinked and twisted. This again forces the electrician to spend time in repairing the conductors.
The limitations of the prior art are overcome by the present invention as described below.